Noam Dar vs Cedric Alexander
Their last match on 205 Live was really good, but this,
whilst still decent, wasn’t on the same level. I liked Alexander’s initial
aggression, owing to all the aggro Dar has caused for him and Alicia Fox, even
to the level that he chased Dar to the floor when he tried to catch a breather.
Like last time, Dar decides to focus on an arm, this time kicking out Cedric’s
arm on the springboard kick. Dar does hit a nasty uppercut, but his armwork isn’t
as vicious as last time and he also switches which arm he’s working on. This
does seem to be in part due to him working the left arm, but having to grab
Alexander by the right arm to counter a flying clothesline with a Fujiwara
armbar. To this extent, I liked Dar grabbing Cedric in a straitjacket in order
to work on both arms. Alicia Fox stops Noam from crushing Alexander’s arm
between the ring steps, which would have been a nice Finlay-esque touch, and
this gives Cedric time to recover. The end is interesting, with Fox pulling Dar
out of the way of an Alexander moonsault (and not being sure why herself) before
Dar finishes with a running kick. Like last time, it’s a shame the armwork wasn’t
paid off in the finish, and the fact it was less intense and alternated focus
on the two arms means I preferred the earlier bout.
Brian Kendrick vs Sean Maluta
Kendrick cuts a fun promo before the match, complaining
about his misting at the hands of Tajiri last week, and saying that, if Tajiri
beat Maluta last week, then it would only take him 30 seconds. In a nice touch,
it takes him nearly twice as long as Tajiri and with Maluta controlling most of
the match. Maluta very nearly wins 30 seconds in with a crafty roll up, and is
able to maintain control, looking decent in the process. Dug his cannonball off
the apron. A frog splash, however, sees him only eat canvas, and allows
Kendrick to lock on the Captain’s Hook to win. This was fun.
Rich Swann vs Tony Nese
Nice booking here, as Nese is the closest you’re going to
get to Neville on 205 Live, bar the man himself. Liked Nese’s game plan here,
getting Swann out of the ring, hurling him into the barricades, then throwing
him back inside in the hope of getting a quick pin. Nese’s focus on the
previously injured ribs of Swann was nice, with him draping Swann over the
turnbuckle, punting him off them with a kick to the ribs, then catching Swann
straight into a gutbuster. Looked really great. Nese misses a swank springboard
moonsault to give Swann an opening and, after some back and forth, Swann nails
a back kick to pick up the win. Ending felt a bit sudden, but I enjoyed this.
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